The Stranger Here With Me
by Esparzak
Summary: ...Your eyes pierce right through me, but I will never truly see you... When the unstoppable copynin is found with a deadly injury, Konoha realizes it is threatened by a strange medical ninja with a peculiar motive [KakaxSaku eventually]
1. I

Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me… if it was… Kakashi _would not_ be a fictional character. It just simply isn't fair. This story is _loosely_ based on the manga.

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_Sometimes we see what can never be truth…_

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**I.**

"Take your shirt off."

The words faltered momentarily in the back of Sakura's throat, swelling in her mouth like a wet cotton ball. The anticipation was building inside her, twisting her face in unreadable emotion. She brushed a pink lock away from her forehead, attempting to construct a collected demeanor.

The bandaged silver-haired man traced a dark eye over to the kunoichi, making her usual prideful exterior wither. She shivered momentarily before shifting her body into a more confident posture. She straightened her back until it was rigid like a plate of steel and gave the man a domineering glare from behind her huffed chest.

"Well, you heard me. I have a job to do sensei…"

It was quite peculiar to Sakura—seeing such an acclaimed ninja in such a pathetic, feeble position. Normally this man was the one who _sent _ninjas to her line of work—_definitely_ not the one who ended up there on his own. In fact, in all of her years of knowing the copy-ninja, she was quite convinced that it was impossible to harm the man… too much.

But there he was, Hatake Kakashi—master of over 1,000 jutsus—sitting in a hospital bed awaiting medical care…

From _her…_

Something about it just seemed outrageous.

In fact, the day she heard he would be appointed to care at her hospital, she had literally laughed out-loud, and then asked a fellow medic to pinch her—she _had_ to be dreaming. Of course, they all stared at her like she was the most heartless human being on the planet. But they didn't _know_ the man—he was supposed to be invincible… right?

Well Sakura was still convinced it was a practical joke of some kind and she was just _waiting_ for everyone to jump out with streamers and confetti and scream—_Congratulations, you are on TV! This is all a joke!_

But it never happened… and the moment he arrived at the hospital… the disbelief of it all baffled her more and more, sending her into a fretful storm of anxiety. It wasn't Kakashi that made her nervous—it was the whole situation in general. She had never healed such an… unstoppable ninja... with such a _freak_ injury. She was beginning to wonder if it was some kind of medical test from Tsunade herself.

A mop of silver hair arose slowly from its cradled position on the fluffy pillow beneath it. Sakura watched with her nose tilted to the ceiling, knowing _very_ well that this man was _extremely_ stubborn for someone who seemed so impassive. She would have to watch him like a hawk to ensure he actually _stayed_ in the hospital instead flocking out of the nearest window with his exquisite ninja abilities. At 19 years old, she was an adult now—a very established medic jounin in fact—and she could rightfully tell this man what to do, regardless of what he had to bark back. And at the moment, she could very well tell that he was contemplating that escape any moment now.

_Hospital _and _Kakashi_ just did **not** go well in the same sentence.

"I am not twelve years old anymore Kakashi-sensei… I know very well what is going through your head… and you _are_ going to stay here until you are _completely_ healed." She crossed her arms dramatically for effect. "Now… I _said_ take your shirt off… I need to check how your scar is healing up."

The confidence was lacing her voice… but it _definitely_ wasn't prominent in her mind. Her head was throbbing intensely as it attempted to quell the quarreling anxiety in her mind. She had been a medic student for a few years… but she had _never_ felt as nervous about her work as she did now.

Kakashi regarded her false confidence with a simple, impassive grunt as he sat up completely in the pristine hospital bed. Leaning forward slightly, he grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it off slowly, revealing a long, light pink scab across his mid-section. Crystal emerald eyes narrowed slightly, focusing intently on the man's scarred, not to mention _extremely_ chiseled, mid-section. A small blush tinged her checks as she forced that thought away quickly—this was her _teacher,_ not to mention her _patient._ Ratings and analysis of his mid-section were simply _not_ allowed.

The silver-haired man watched the pink-haired kunoichi lazily, yet keenly… knowing that such a wound was _not _something to shrug off. Though he did feel entirely healthy…

Sakura traced a timid finger across the scar as memories of his arrival at the hospital surfaced in her mind. Such a wound… it was just too baffling to the pink-haired medic. Tsunade _herself_ said she had never seen anything like it… or _heard_ anything like it for that matter. He had arrived at the Konoha hospital with his body in a fit of convulsions from a loss of blood. As his stretcher zipped down the hallways, medics of all ages stopped to stare in ghastly astonishment. It was an incredible sight to see… and extremely hard to believe… but, somehow, the infamous copy-ninja had his insides literally _ripped out_ of his skin and _twisted together_. Anyone could've died in such a situation… in fact… he should've died. But somehow… he didn't. Maybe he _really_ is invincible.

But what baffled Sakura even more wasn't Kakashi or his revolting injury—it was Tsunade and the decision she made. The moment she saw Kakashi's stretcher wheel into the hospital… she twisted around to the pink-haired medic next to her and shouted orders—_she would be the one to heal him... she would be the one responsible for his chakra-infused surgery._

She stared in wonderment, waiting for Tsunade to say _'NO! I am just pulling your leg! Something this serious should be my orders!'_ But she didn't… in fact, she actually _scolded_ Sakura for wasting time.

So, with much haste, Sakura scurried over to Kakashi's surgery room, her heart pounding more and more furiously as the seconds ticked. Kakashi-sensei—one of the most acclaimed ninja in Konoha—was actually relying on her and _only_ her to save his life. And that's just what she did…

Rolling up her sleeves, Sakura went to work on the dying jounin. Pouring more and more chakra into her hands, Sakura worked while thinking of nothing and everything all at the same time. First she worked on moving his insides to their rightful places _oh so _gently… and quickly, yet carefully she used her chakra as a thread to stitch together loose ligaments and tendons. By the time she was finished, darkness was beginning to cover her eyes in a blanket of exhaustion. Her chakra was beyond depleted and her body was feeling the side-effects in waves of unreadable pain… but she did it. She had accomplished what many medics could never do… but pride was something she could barely taste as her entire existence plunged into darkness.

And she slept… it took her two _whole_ days to retain her stamina after such a surgery… but when she awoke, she was greeted with the greatest news in her life—he was alive… and _well_. She had saved him…

And now, there he sat… breathing… _living_… with nothing to show but a textured scar across his belly. For the first time since Sakura awoke, pride and satisfaction fluttered in her body, quickly filling her entire existence like free-flowing water.

She peered up at the silver-haired man with wistful eyes, feeling like she had just stepped out of a grade-A dream. "… it looks… great."

A thick silence slipped between the shinobi as Kakashi peered down at the kunoichi with inexplicable emotion. The silent aura swallowed the pink-haired girl in a strange embrace, surfacing a peculiar emotion in the back of her mind. She cleared her throat uneasily, reconstructing her rigid exterior.

"Now, it _may_ look great… but how are you feeling?"

She knew the answer… it was almost insensible to ask a man like Kakashi such a question… but she needed to extinguish the awkward, restless aura around her… she had no reason to be nervous anymore…

He shrugged half-heartedly, seemingly unmoved by her anxiety. "As best as I can feel I guess…"

She sighed…

_Hopeless._

"Well, how is your chakra? Have you gained it back fully yet?"

Nod.

Another sigh…

"Jeez, you are completely hopeless sensei. I will never be able to understand you."

"I guess that's what everyone thinks…"

Sakura opened her mouth to form a rebuttal, but before the words could surface, the door burst open, revealing a young kunoichi with wide, innocent eyes.

"I am sorry to interrupt Sakura-sensei, but Hokage-sama would like to speak to you." The girl peered at the infamous copy ninja with large, rapt eyes.

Sakura turned to face the young girl, sending her a nod of dismissal. "Thank you Kanako-chan. Tell Tsunade-sama I will be there any moment."

The little girl quickly bowed her head, and scurried out of the room, sending Sakura a nervous smile. Kakashi raised a silver brow at the pink-haired kunoichi as she directed her attention back at him, a small smirk gracing her lips.

"Sakura­-_sensei_, eh?"

Sakura nodded lightly, sending her sensei a frank look. "Yes, _Sakura-sensei…_ you are not the only one who teaches people you know."

"…oh… I see."

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "What do you mean _I see_… I am perfectly capable of teaching young medics. You know, if you paid more attention to the people around you, you might've known that by now."

Suddenly realizing the coldness in her voice, Sakura shook her head and let out a soft chuckle. "I mean… how _can _you notice _anything_ with your nose so deep in that porn-filled _book_. In fact, I am not surprised you got this injury. You probably had that nose too far in to notice your attacker sneaking up behind you." The wide smile was evident across her face, but Kakashi was intelligent enough to catch the sincerity in her voice. Well, she _did_ have a point, after she was appointed jounin, Kakashi had simply told her that they were _equals_ now, and then suddenly vanished into thin air as if he had never even existed in her life. The rest of Team 7 gathered whenever they had free time, and everytime… Kakashi was invited, but, inevitably, never showed up. In fact, when Kakashi arrived at the hospital with his guts practically hanging out, it was the first time Sakura had really _seen_ him in two years. At first, she had felt a little rejected due to his absence, but she reassured herself with the thought that he was simply Kakashi—he just didn't get close to _anyone_.

"Well, I must get going sensei. My work calls me… now will you just do what I say and _please_… stay here until Tsunade dismisses you. Your type of injury was very serious and we need to ensure that it is properly healed before you go back to being _Kakashi_." She smirked lightly, sending the silver-haired man a quick wave before slipping out of the room.

As she stepped into the brightly lit hallway, a hidden sigh of relief escaped her lips. She had been nervously waiting to see Kakashi since she woke up from her deep sleep. Patients are a work of art to medics, and such an extreme surgery like Kakashi's was a big deal to a medic as young as Sakura. She wanted to ensure that she had done a good job for her patient… and for her friend. She knew very well, though, if it wasn't Kakashi in that situation, she wouldn't have been as nervous as she was. Kakashi was her teacher in the past… and in those days… she was too interested in day-dreaming about Sasuke to shape up and realize the potential inside her. Inevitably, during that time, she seemed like the weak link to Team 7… the one who was constantly in need of saving. But now that Sasuke had been shoved away as a nostalgic childhood crush years ago, Sakura had a strong character to show for herself.

But by then… Kakashi was already absent in her life. He had only seen the tip of the strong woman inside Sakura.

So, inevitably, she felt like this amazing surgery would be a way to show her true strength to her old sensei… if she could complete it without any flaws…

Luckily… she had… but sadly… she hadn't noticed a shift in the way Kakashi viewed her.

Sakura sighed heavily, pushing her thoughts away as she treaded down the hallway towards Tsunade's office. It was useless to worry about Kakashi's opinion… because even if he did have an opinion of her, it's not like she would ever _know._ He was completely enigmatic, and he would never change. She just needed to accept him as a former teammate… no more than an acquaintance. Besides… what was she missing? He seemed utterly boring with that casual look in his hooded eye. And the only thing he seemed interested in was ninja skills and _Icha Icha Paradise_. For all she knew… he was on his way to becoming the next Jiraiya…

Taking a deep breath, Sakura grasped the copper door knob tightly, readying herself for the unknown territory she was leading herself into. Tsunade's office is like a war zone. You never know what you find there. Sometimes it's good news… most times it's bad news. But every time… Sakura is confronted with an extremely stressed and over-worked woman ready to dismantle the nearest object.

Pulling the wooden door open reluctantly, Sakura peered around the room, searching for any signs of danger. To her relief, the only thing she locked eyes with was an extremely over-worked Shizune peering at her with wide, helpless eyes.

The dark-haired woman quickly stammered to her feet, knocking a pile of papers into fluttering disarray. "Oh! Sakura! Good thing you are here! Tsunade is waiting for you in her lounge! You must hurry quickly, though!"

Panic struck Sakura like an iron sledge-hammer. _The lounge room_… that room was only reserved for serious matters. She had only been called there once when the Hokage had announced the death of a very respected ninja in the village. Sakura knew very well that _the lounge_ was the Hokage's room for escape… and all at once… a heavy burden weighed at Sakura's heart…

She just was _not_ in the mood for bad news…

Biting her lip anxiously, Sakura stepped towards the ruby glass door. As she drew nearer, the sound of muffled voices seeped into her ears. A look of confusion struck her face as she listened intently to the foreign voices behind the door. A soft, male voice filled her ears, making her tilt her head with bewilderment. Tsunade always had male guards in her room… but not _once_ had Sakura ever seen her conversing with them. And from what she could tell—the Hokage was not stressed at all… it was evident from the sound of her shrill laughter.

And suddenly… strange, _quite disturbing,_ thoughts filled her mind. Within seconds, Sakura was turning around and shuffling her way out of the room. The last thing she wanted to do was walk in while her _old_ _teacher_ was… well… _ahem_…

But before she could escape such a nightmare, Shizune's voice stopped her clear in her tracks.

"Sakura-san? What are you doing? The Hokage would like to see you _now._"

Sakura twirled around slowly, sending the agitated woman a sheepish look. "Well, I mean… she appears to be in a meeting with someone right now. Maybe she just wants me to-…"

"Nonsense! She ordered that you see her now, silly."

Sakura sighed. There was no denying such a loony woman (at least in Sakura's eyes). If Sakura didn't do what the Hokage said, Shizune would be the one to hear it first. And she knew damn well that Shizune liked to avoid the Hokage's wrath at all costs.

So—just to spare Shizune's life—Sakura swallowed away the frightful thoughts and images in her mind and marched towards the lounge room, intent on getting whatever this was over with. Wholly ignoring any of the voices coming from the room, Sakura grasped the door knob tightly and swung the door open. The smell of fresh sake filled her senses as the gazed upon the room before, feeling completely vulnerable as two pairs of eyes focused on her and only her.

"Sakura! You finally made it! Hurry in here and sit down!"

Immediately, there were three unusual things that Sakura noticed:

The Hokage was smiling—_genuinely._

There was a man in a medic outfit she had never seen before.

And, in fact, the man was _extremely_ handsome.

Her jaw dropped loosely as she gazed at such a peculiar sight before her. Was this medic the Hokage's… lover? No way… he was much too young for the fifty-something woman (though her body _did_ look young.) But the Hokage was grinning like some innocent school-girl. And Sakura knew very well that such a wise woman was _not_ innocent…

So what could cause this rigid woman to grin so widely...?

Sakura was utterly convinced that the sake had _everything_ to do with it…

Apprehensively, Sakura made her way into the room, forcing a false, nervous smile across her face. She sat rigidly in the nearest chair, keeping her gaze locked on the floor.

"Sakura… you mustn't feel so nervous!" The Hokage had a wise way of reading any emotion on the kunoichi's face… but then again… didn't most people?

She slowly traced her eyes up the Hokage's face, sending her a reassuring smile. "Oh, no Hokage-sama. I am just tired from the week's events."

The smile slowly slipped away from the Hokage's face, the familiar stern gaze replacing it. She sat up straight, smoothing out the fabric in her kimono. "Actually, Sakura… that is the reason why I have called you here today…"

Panic struck Sakura hard as the serious tone in her sensei's voice filled her ears like dense ice cubes. _Oh no… _Maybe she really _had_ done something wrong with Kakashi's surgery and his body was actually getting ready to explode any minute… It was entirely doubtful… but the intense tone in Tsunade's voice was intimidating enough to convince her that the Armageddon could happen any second.

She peered up at her sensei with large, worried eyes. Swallowing away the trepidation, she opened her mouth to speak up, but the Hokage silenced her with another wide grin.

"…but first! I brought you here to introduce you to one of the most acclaimed medics in Konoha."

Sakura's jaw dropped again as a confused look spread across her face. Slowly she traced her eyes over to the handsome man sitting next to the Hokage, fully aware of what was coming next.

"Sakura… This is Keiji. Nakamura Keiji." The blonde woman glanced at the man momentarily. "He has been traveling for seven years to learn anything and _everything_ that he can about medicine and technology. He is home in Konoha for the first time in many years."

The dark-haired man tilted his head at her, sending her a warm smile. Gentle, almond-shaped eyes met hers, sending a soft shiver down her spine. "How do you do, Sakura-san? I have heard much about you…"

Sakura blushed slightly, returning his courtesy with a tender smile. "I am fine Nakamura-san. Thank you…"

"Oh, no need. Please call me Keiji."

She nodded her head at him, biting her lip slightly. Letting her eyes drift to the floor, she attempted to rescue her collected demeanor from its cowering position. Such a feeling was very strange to Sakura… she hadn't felt this weak in the knees around a man since her childish crush on Sasuke. Albeit, this man was most likely the most enticing creature she had set on eyes on since the Uchiha himself. In fact, he was attractive enough to rival the cold-hearted boy. But something about him was gentler than the boy she fell head-over-heels for so long ago. His soft, chocolate eyes seemed eternally creased in a warm smile… and his lips were soft and relaxed—unlike the rigid frown that graced the Uchiha's lips ceaselessly. She shuffled her body uneasily at that thought… she couldn't actually have found a man that passed her standards…? That was deemed merely impossible years ago when Sasuke left her alone in the dust…

But wait… she couldn't be thinking about this man like this yet… she barely knew him… right?

Sakura shook her head, pushing her thoughts away to focus on the matter at hand. "Tsunade-sensei…" she cleared her throat, gathering the words in her mind in the most confident fashion. "I mean… what did you want to discuss…?"

The Hokage locked eyes with her. "Well, first off…" She paused momentarily, causing Sakura's heart to pound clamorously in her chest. "I wanted to tell you that you did an excellent job on Hatake's surgery. It was almost flawless."

Inner Sakura smirked devilishly with pride as her ego soared. _Hell yeah!_

"… But…"

Instantly, her ego came crashing down…

Sakura swallowed nervously. "… but…?"

The Hokage sighed, cracking her knuckles uneasily. "Well the extreme seriousness of such an injury cannot be overlooked by Konoha."

A silent sigh of relief escaped Sakura's lips momentarily, but she quickly gathered her serious attention again. "Yes, sensei… such a… _strange_… injury does not happen by accident."

"As of now, we are completely unaware of _how_ Hatake gained such an injury on a simple A-class mission. We all know he is a very developed ninja. Serious injuries just don't happen by chance to shinobi of his stature."

Sakura nodded.

"We have questioned Hatake, but he cannot seem to remember anything of importance. The only thing he can recall is stopping off at a stream adjacent to the village of the Mist."

Sakura narrowed her eyes with disbelief. _No way…_ Kakashi _never_ has his guard down… _ever._ It's impossible… how could someone have snuck up behind him and caught him off guard?

"From this information… we _know_ this is a serious affair. It is something we need to take action on immediately." The Hokage paused, sighing in annoyance. "Unfortunately… we have absolutely _no_ leads. I have sent a few shinobi off to search the village of the Mist and nearby countries… but until then, we are completely vulnerable."

The Hokage glanced up at Keiji with severe eyes. "Keiji… with a medical background of your intensity… I would like to send you off on a mission if we obtain any leads." Her eyes slowly traced back to the kunoichi before her. "However… _you_ have no ninja skills whatsoever. If I were to send anyone off… it would most likely be Sakura…"

Her ego soared beyond heights…

"… and a strong, male jounin."

Sakura growled softly under her breath… _of course…_

"It is assumed that whoever did this to Hatake had a tremendous medical background. There is just no way that a common shinobi could contort the human body in such a fashion without knowing the ins and outs of the human body."

"So, in that sense… I will discuss with the elders whether or not it would be wise to send Keiji along as well. Sakura knows a lot about medicine and anatomy… but Keiji would be an even better asset in the medical sense."

A sudden twinge of jealous arose in Sakura's mind as she peered at the handsome boy from the corner of her eye. Inner Sakura was suddenly feeling a tad inferior to this man…

The Hokage turned her full attention to Sakura. "Until then, you are dismissed from you duties at the hospital. I want you to take a break from your teachings to brush up on your Taijutsu. I am not entirely sure when I will call upon you for this mission, but I want you to be aware and ready at all times of the day. Such a serious matter cannot be shoved aside." She paused, sending the kunoichi a frank look. "I want you to spend your time training. The last thing we need is a rusty ninja in an A-class mission."

Sakura blanketed the insulted feeling in her mind with the pride of accepting such an important mission. So what if she wasn't so hot in Taijutsu anymore? She was a chakra genius… wasn't that something to talk about?...

Anyhow, Taijutsu was something she could work on in preparation for such a mission… she would never let the Hokage down by taking her time off to relax… and have fun… and go shopping…

Ok… so maybe she would take just _a little_ time to relax. Hey, a shinobi needs to be mentally prepared for a mission as well, right?

"I won't let you down Hokage-sama…"

Tsunade nodded sternly. "Good."

"But there is one thing sensei…"

Tsunade raised a blonde brow. "Yes…?"

"Well, who will tend to Hatake-sama while I am off my duties? He was my patient after all…"

Tsunade chuckled loudly, shaking her head slightly. "Oh, don't worry Sakura-chan… I am sure he is already at home right now as we speak. We both know Hatake is not a man who is often seen in a hospital… or _ever_ seen in a hospital for that matter."

Sakura smirked widely. _Oh yes_… she should've known he'd slip out while she was away…

_He is Kakashi after all…_

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_TBC_

Much more story-line to come!! Thanks for reading!


	2. II

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_Gentle eyes bear the falsity I will never see_

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**II.**

Sakura took a deep breath and reached in her pocket, fishing out a crumbled piece of paper with her index finger. She unfolded it gingerly in her palm, narrowing her eyes slightly to scrutinize the large letters clad in bright pink ink. At the top, it read _'To Do List' _in bold letters. Reaching in her pocket one more time, she removed a small gel pen and eagerly drew her wrist across the wrinkled piece of paper.

_Check._

One less thing on her list of things to do…

Her list had started out quite ridiculous actually. When she awoke that morning, the excitement of knowing she had _absolutely _no work or studying to do had put her in a larger-than-life state. Ridiculous and quite _absurd _things began filling her head like:

_Today I will change my hair color!_

Or…

_Tonight I will eat at a five-star restaurant (with the date of my dreams of course!)_

It took her _quite _awhile to finally realize that she was living in _reality_, and, although time off of work was like a dream to her, she would have to stick to more realistic items on her _To Do List_ like _do the dishes _or _reorganize her closet_. She didn't mind too much though, because the simple pleasures of everyday life were often absent during her long, tedious days as a dedicated medic, ninja, _and _teacher. Even though her list had ended plainly with a mere four items, it still brought a silent thrill to her monotonous life.

And, with two of the four main priorities of the day behind her, Sakura was beginning to feel the best she had felt since she passed the jounin exam. Days off did wonders for girls like Sakura, and considering this was her first day off in possibly _months_, Sakura was beaming with happiness by the time she had reached priority number three of the day:

_Grocery Shopping_

Returning the wrinkled piece of paper to her pocket, Sakura sighed and brushed a stray pink lock away from her face. Grocery shopping was something she didn't normally enjoy because she was forced to rush through it due to a lack of time. But today, she felt a little out-of-place knowing that she would be given the opportunity to make vital decisions—like if she wanted _honey wheat bread _or_ white bread._

A small sense of satisfaction filled Sakura's bosom as that thought crossed her mind. Today, she was going to take time to actually have a relaxing trip to the market (for once). Taking a deep, wholesome breath, she began shuffling her body towards one of the most mind-bending territories for all of mankind—the land of groceries.

The market was particularly busy for a quaint Tuesday afternoon. Sakura spent most of her time squeezing between plump, stout woman and their abundant collection of groceries. Children danced around her like savages, pulling on her groceries and teasing her like blood-thirsty midgets. It took everything inside of her to not turn around and use her taijutsu on the little brats. Honestly, she _never_ remembered children being so _cruel_ during her days at the academy. Sure, kids like Naruto pulled their everyday (and quite _hilarious_) pranks, but kids these days seemed intent on actually harming others mentally and physically. She made a mental note to ask her students if they indulged in such brutal mockery…

After what seemed like hours of _hell_, Sakura trudged out of the market with arms full of groceries and other much needed items. Her body ached with the stabbing sensation of exhaustion, and the weight in her arms seemed ten times as dense as it should. The items in the brown, paper parcels seemed to tower above her line of sight, making it seemingly impossible to navigate through the roads of Konoha. She scolded herself mentally for not bringing a cart along with her. It would be a treacherous mission to get home with no broken or missing items, but she was an elite ninja now, she could handle a simple trip home from the market…

Peeking her head out from the groceries, Sakura caught a glimpse of the road she needed to turn down. Twisting her body _slowly_ to the right, she began making her way down the road. Sakura's aim to make it down the road without colliding into any buildings was right on target, but, unfortunately, she failed to notice the tall, dark-haired man heading straight at her…

_CRASH!_

Sakura yelped sharply as groceries hurled into the air all around her. The sound of _crunching, squishing, _and _shattering _filled her ears as she clumsily lost her balance and fell to the concrete ground with an excruciating thud. She cringed as the actuality of the situation sunk her brain like the pointed edge of a knife.

_God dammit…._

She peeled her eyes open harshly to analyze the amount of ruined groceries. Broken eggs, busted apples, and other various ripped packages decorated the ground around her mockingly. She narrowed her eyes sharply as the burning sensation of rage spread across her like wild-fire.

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry, mam!"

Sakura balled her hand into a taut fist, ready to pummel the idiot who was responsible for such a tragic accident. But as she traced her eyes up the dark-haired man in front of her, surprise caught her quickly off-guard, leaving her breathless.

"Keiji?!"

Instantly, his chocolate eyes lightened. "Sakura-san!" A gentle smile spread across his face, but the apologetic tone in his voice stayed even. "I am terribly sorry! Honestly, I didn't see you there!"

He bent over quickly and began gathering items in his arms. "Oh my… look at the damage I have done! I swear I will replace any of your broken items."

Sakura continued to stare wide-eyed at the dark-haired man, completely taken aback by the whole accident. "Oh! No, no… it's not a problem!"

_Inner Sakura: "I'll make you pay for that you prick!"_

She quickly scurried to her feet, brushing off any crumbs on her skirt. "Really, it's okay… there wasn't _too_ much that got ruined."

He sighed lightly. "Alright… at least let me help you pick up this mess."

She smiled softly at him, bending over to retrieve the brown, paper parcels and what was left inside of them. She peered inside quickly, gauging how much _actually _got destroyed in the incident. To her relief, both parcels seemed more than half full of untouched objects.

"At first I wondered what you would be doing out at this time of day, but then I realized that Hokage-sama had given you time off." He paused, returning a few items to the bag in her arms. "How is that going? Are you enjoying it?"

She chuckled lightly. "Of course! Though, I have only done chores since I woke up this morning… but… it is still relaxing to be able to pace yourself during the day."

He nodded. "Of course, that is understandable. The life of a shinobi doesn't consist of relaxation often."

She turned to face him, her jade eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "What about you, Keiji-san? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

"Well, yes and no." He chuckled. "I _would_ be at the hospital if we had any patients to tend to. Fortunately, it is a slow day and I was given the rest of the day off."

"Ah, I see. That's a nice surprise when that happens, isn't it?"

He smiled brightly, seemingly melting Sakura into a ball of repose. "Sure is—especially when it has been months since your first day off."

Sakura nodded, analyzing the ground one last time, checking to see if she had missed any intact groceries. The concrete seemed a lot less wrecked than it did right after the collision incident occurred, but it did seem to bear a few battle scars—broken glass and other shattered remains covered it in a light blanket. She peered in the paper bag one last time, ensuring that everything was intact.

"Well, thanks for your help Keiji-san."

He shrugged. "No problem. It was my fault really; it was my duty to help you." He paused, motioning to the full weight in the kunoichi's arms. "Hey, why don't I help you with that?"

"Oh, don't worry about it…"

"No really, I would love to walk you home."

The soft feeling of butterflies fluttered in her bosom as she peered at him with bright eyes. She hadn't been walked home by a man since Naruto took her out for ramen months ago. In fact, the only men that ever walked her home were Naruto, and, on rare occasion, Sasuke. She could briefly remember Kakashi walking her home once, but she was probably only 13 and had a fractured leg.

She smiled lightly at him, offering him a parcel full of groceries. "I guess so…" She paused, pressing her lips into a sarcastic smile. "Well, since it _was _your fault and all."

He chuckled, taking the parcel into his arms. "Of course."

Sakura bit her lip nervously as she made her way down the busy streets of Konoha. Peering up at Keiji from the corner of her eye, she smiled, feeling satisfied with the outcome of the whole situation.

"So…" Keiji began. "I never got to congratulate you on Hatake's surgery."

She blushed slightly. "Oh! It's no biggie…"

Keiji continued his slow pace next to the pink-haired beauty. "Well, sure it is! Not just anybody could've pulled that off."

The pleasurable feeling of pride spread across her mind as Inner Sakura smirked devilishly. _'Hell yeah!'_

"Well, yeah, I guess you are right… but it wasn't easy."

"You must be a very developed medic to be able to control your chakra for so long. It's not often that you see a medic with such an amazing control of chakra."

"Well, I guess I learned from the best." Images of Tsunade and Kakashi scolding her flashed in her mind momentarily. She cringed lightly at Tsunade's deep frown… but, for some odd reason, the apathetic gaze in the silver-haired man's eye brought a soothing smile to her face.

A comfortable silence slipped between the two as they made their way towards Sakura's apartment. Sakura shuffled nervously besides the tall, attractive man next to her, her mind racing with something appropriate to say. She studied the man from the corner of her eye, picking up any minute details she missed the day before in Tsunade's office.

He seemed like an organized man; everything about him seemed tailored and orderly; his clothes held no unnecessary wrinkles, and his hair was combed in a professional manner. He even seemed to walk and move in a structured manner as well, keeping his movements in rhythm. But despite the rigid conduct, everything about him seemed soothing and relaxing. It was hard to picture such a man losing his cool as Naruto would. In fact, _everything _about him—from his behavior to the way her dressed—was absolutely _opposite_ of the blonde-haired kyuubi container. Sakura chuckled inwardly at that thought, peering up at the dark-haired man with humored eyes.

He sighed lightly, breaking the silence between them. Glancing over at the pink-haired kunoichi, he smiled gently, his soothing chocolate orbs sending shivers down her spine. She returned his kindness with an awkward smile, inwardly fighting the anxiety shoveling its way out of the hidden cove in the back of her mind. She felt so silly; he was just a man. There was no _real_ reason to get nervous and edgy. But Sakura lacked contact with men in her life; the only men she spoke to were Naruto, Sasuke, and the injured men at the hospital. It had been awhile since she executed _small talk_ with an attractive man. And from what she could tell, she was failing miserably…

Glancing up momentarily, Sakura saw the red shingles of her apartment building glinting in the mid-day sun. They were almost to their destination, and Sakura could barely fight the feeling of disappointment arising in her bosom.

"My place is just ahead." She paused, motioning ahead. "It's the one with the red roof."

"Ah, but that was much too short of a walk… don't you agree?"

She squinted her eyes slightly, attempting to maintain her level demeanor. _Of course_ she thought it was too short of a walk. A man like Keiji was someone she didn't find often in life… she didn't want their communication with each other ending so shortly… but she was much too shy to speak up. "Yeah, I guess so… but these groceries _are_ getting pretty heavy."

Bluff. Sakura was a shinobi, if mere groceries were too heavy for her than she must've cheated her way through both the chuunin _and_ jounin exam…

"Well, Sakura-san, if we both agree that the walk was much too short, than I guess that means you have to go out to dinner with me tonight to make up for such a lack of time together."

Her breath caught in her throat as she peered up at him with wide-eyes. "Oh, is that what that means?"

"Of course. Besides, I owe you dinner for trashing half of your groceries earlier. What do you say?"

She paused momentarily, letting the exhilarating reality of the situation sink in. "Sure. That sounds great."

He stopped at the front steps to her apartment building. "Well then, I guess I will pick you up here tonight say… 7?"

She nodded nervously, retrieving the parcel from Keiji's arms. "Sounds good…" She stepped back, situating the paper bags in her arms. "Well… I guess I will see you then."

He nodded, flashing her another mind-melting smile. "Alright. Well it's been a pleasure Ms. Haruno."

"Thank you Keiji-san. I really appreciate your help."

"No problem…" He paused. "Well… see you later then."

Sending her a respectful nod, Keiji turned away and began making his way down the streets of Konoha. Sakura watched his retreating figure for a few moments, unable to wake up from her mesmerized state.

It had been months… maybe even _years_ since she had a respectful date with another man. He had walked into her life so quickly like some noble-man on a gracious stallion; it was hard for her to realize that she was _still_ Haruno Sakura. She wasn't dreaming… or at least she thought she wasn't dreaming.

But then again, appearances and first impressions weren't _everything; _she had just met the man the day before. There was still time to reveal any hidden flaws or defects. She was just hoping that imperfections were something that Nakamura Keiji didn't come across often.

Hey, she still held onto the fairy-tale loving twelve year old that never dared to stop dreaming…

But hopefully, Keiji would be the perfect reality, and not some ornamented fairy-tale that existed only her mind (ahem, _Uchiha Sasuke_…).

Pushing the door open to her apartment, Sakura sighed, making her way through the doorway. Dropping her groceries on the kitchen table, she glanced up at the clock.

_1:13 p.m._

If she didn't hurry, she just might show up late to her lunch date with her favorite boys of all time…

-----------------------

"NO WAY!!!!!" Naruto's distinct voice bellowed through the small café, turning heads and rattling glass.

Sakura peered at the blonde with livid, jade eyes, utterly unmoved by his outburst. "I don't care what you say, Naruto. It's _my_ life. We both know _damn well_ if you ran it I would end up being a lonely, old lady with twenty cats."

He crossed his arms dramatically, leaning back against the cushioned booth. "I don't care! You just aren't allowed to go tonight!"

She leaned over the table, narrowing her eyes at him slightly. "And why is that?"

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Because… because…" He sighed heavily. "Because we haven't met him yet, that's why! For all I know he could be some sick rapist preying on attractive women."

Sasuke scoffed lightly besides the agitated boy. "So then… he would be like you?"

Naruto growled, raising his fist at the dark-haired Uchiha. "Don't _you _start with me!"

Sasuke regarded his threat with a simple grunt, turning his dark eyes towards the pink-haired beauty across the table. "Well, how long have you known this… _Keiji…_?" Keiji's name slid of Sasuke's tongue as if he had just swallowed bitter poison.

Sakura gritted her teeth tightly, unable to control the anger seeping out of her outer exterior. "I don't know! A few days! Jesus! Why does it matter to you guys?!"

Naruto stood abruptly, pounding his fist on the table clamorously. "A FEW DAYS?! He's nothing but a stranger to you!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Well, the dobe has actually made a valid point for once."

It was Sakura's turn to raise her voice. "WHAT?!"

The petite, blue-eyed waitress who had been venturing her way towards their table to take their order stopped in her tracks. Flinching her face slightly, she wrinkled her nose and spun on her heel, concerned for her safety at the moment.

"It's enough having the idiot control my decisions! But now, I have Sasuke _backing him up!_" She threw her hands up. "What the hell is going on here?"

Sasuke scoffed. "We are not _controlling _your decisions… we're just stopping you from doing anything stupid." Under his breath, a quiet _"as usual" _was muttered.

Sakura clinched her teeth, sighing in annoyance. "I am going tonight. If I end up bloody and raped in a ditch somewhere… simply don't bother." She raised a hand up to silence Naruto, who had his mouth open and ready to form a rebuttal. "_End of subject._ Let's just drop it."

Naruto pouted his lip slightly, settling back in the booth. He turned his head away from the kunoichi dramatically, crossing his arms in a forceful manner. Sakura ignored the silent tantrum from the blonde jounin, turning towards Sasuke with gentle eyes.

"Now… we _were_ discussing current happenings in our lives. What's been up with you guys? How is life as a jounin treating you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's treating me, I guess."

Naruto remained stationary in his silent tantrum…

Sakura sighed. "Well… how have the missions been? Have they been successful?"

"Of course."

Sakura gritted her teeth. At times, she just had _no idea _how she saw past Sasuke's arrogance when she was younger. Crushes do that to people; they make you completely oblivious, she decided.

"Well… have you been assigned to any genin groups?"

Sasuke sent her a disbelieving look. "Not a chance… I have no desire to baby-sit little, arrogant brats."

_Ironic,_ she thought. He was referencing the young Sasuke and didn't even realize it…

"Oh, jeez, Sasuke, you're so heartless." She paused, a slightly arrogant smirk spreading across her face. "I _have_ taken on a group of kids, but they aren't genin. They are medics in training."

A puzzled look bloomed across Sasuke's face. "What? They aren't going to be shinobi at all?"

"Nope. Tsunade has noticed that other villages run smoother when there are a few medics who are _solely_ medics. That way, they aren't distracted by the dangerous, time-consuming life as a ninja. They can focus on _only_ their medical studies."

She heard Naruto scoff lightly. And she _swore_ she heard him mutter _'what a waste…'_

She rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Actually, I agree with her. As a medic _and _a jounin…" She paused dramatically for effect. "I can see that life is just too demanding and it's difficult to be very developed in both areas of my life."

"Soo…" Sasuke paused. "That means you must be lacking either as a medic or a shinobi. And after such a surgery on Kakashi… that means you are _very rusty_ as a shinobi."

"Am not!"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Ah."

She growled at him, swallowing away the rage arising rapidly. Well, he was partly right… she had only focused on being a medic for the past few months and literally hadn't picked up a kunai or shuriken since her last mission—six months ago. But she wasn't about to let them know that…

She knew if she didn't change the subject now, their lunch would take a turn for the worst. "Speaking of which, has anyone seen Kakashi since yesterday? I am sure he left the hospital… I just wanted to know how he was feeling."

Naruto finally spoke up. "I did."

Sakura's jade eyes lit up with excitement as she beamed at the pouting ninja across the table. "Well, what did he say? How is he feeling?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I saw him on the streets earlier and all he said was 'Yo.'…"

Sakura sighed, lowering her head. _Hopeless._ "Well, hopefully, I will run into him some time soon before he leaves for another mission."

She turned her eyes towards the blonde across the table. "Well, now that you are willing to talk to me, why don't you tell me how life is treating you, Naruto. Anything new?"

He shrugged, still executing an _I am mad at you _composure. "Well, I am with Sasuke. I don't want to take on a genin team any time soon. It's not like those little brats are worth anything besides being annoying…"

_How ironic, yet again._ Sakura could _clearly_ recall Naruto being worth nothing besides being annoying…

"Then, you are only going to be taking on missions?"

He shook his head. "Actually, both Sasuke and I have decided to try out for ANBU."

Surprise shook Sakura's conscience. "Really?"

"Well, that way, I know I won't end up being something worthless like a baby-sitter, and people will be able to actually respect me for the skills I have."

Sasuke grunted quietly to confirm Naruto's words. Sakura was used to his quiet grunts and scoffs—it was just the way the cold Uchiha agreed with someone.

Suddenly, the anxious waitress appeared quietly at the edge of their table, peering at the three-some with wide, worried eyes. The look on her face screamed _'give me your order NOW before I am harmed.'_

Sakura ordered quickly, followed by Sasuke. The two both ordered green tea and a light meal, but… Naruto, on the other hand, beamed happily with a long list of the things he wanted—most of which had the word _ramen_ in them. The waitress quickly scurried away before any off their touchy tempers were tested again.

"That's great guys! But I can't tell you that I won't be worried all the time…" Sakura gazed at her friends with worried eyes.

Naruto, regaining his usual demeanor, puffed his chest out as he leaned over the table. "Worried? No need, Sakura-chan… nobody can touch me. Now, Sasuke on the other hand…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, ignoring the blonde's attempt to attack his pride. At 19, he should know now that it was _quite impossible_ to bring Sasuke's arrogance with mere words.

The waitress appeared at their table again, a tray full of hot, steaming tea in her hand. Carefully, she placed their drinks in front of them, the porcelain rattling in her shaky hand. Sakura regarded the petite waitress with a respectful nod as she placed the cup of steaming liquid in front of the kunoichi. She glanced uneasily at the group one last time before sending a courteous bow and quickly dashing away. Sasuke gazed at her retreating form with disgust. Such nervousness over silly matters was just repulsive to him…

Sakura cleared her throat, raising the cup of hot tea to her lips. "Naruto… I hope you realize that ANBU is like suicide _daily_… even the most powerful ninja find death before they can realize it. You should research such issues before making such important decisions."

Naruto crossed his arms, leaning back against the cushioned booth. "I know Sakura-chan! I understand that! That is what is going to make people see my strength!"

Sakura shook her head. "Alright… alright… but did you also know that ANBU missions are top-secret? I hardly believe that you will be able to keep your mouth shut," She paused, taking a precarious sip of her tea. "And besides, people won't be able to hear about your _strength _because ANBU missions can't be repeated. The only thing they will know is that you are ANBU."

Naruto sighed, getting annoyed by Sakura's never-ending reserve of knowledge. "I get it, Sakura-chan…" He paused, the agitation in his voice slipping to a serious tone. "But it's something I have thought about for awhile now…"

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah, like two weeks…"

"Hey! That's a long time!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, though she had to admit it _was_ a long time in Naruto's book. He was quite the type to act on foolish impulse; the fact that he actually _thought_ about a decision baffled her.

Sakura placed her cup on the table carefully, turning her jade eyes towards Sasuke. "When are you planning on trying out?"

"As soon as we can I guess…"

She nodded slightly, a small pang of fear striking her heart. She had always knew in the back of her mind that Sasuke would try out for ANBU—especially after the death of his brother—but, inwardly, she always hoped and prayed he wouldn't. She never wanted to be the one who attended his funeral… but you can't live forever—at least that's what Sasuke believed. But Naruto, on the other hand… she never really thought about him joining ANBU. His type most likely didn't fit very well in a secretly operated group. She knew his skills would be up to standards for ANBU… but she never imagined that his carefree attitude would want to be around such a cut-throat environment. Apparently, there were dimensions to the kyuubi bearer that she never noticed…

The timid waitress appeared at their table one more time, breaking Sakura from her thoughts. She peered up at the uneasy girl with grateful eyes as she placed a plate of steaming, white rice in front of her. After all of their food was served (in which _most_ of it belonged to Naruto's half of the table), she muttered a soft 'thank you' and quickly left their table as fast as she arrived.

Naruto squealed an 'Alright!!' before hastily digging in his bountiful plates of food. Sakura smiled lightly, gazing upon the two most important men in her life.

_Oh, how their journey started out together_… Things were so different back then. In fact, she had to admit, that, out of all three of them, she had changed the most—but only for the better. It took her a while to realize that Sasuke would never be hers and that the hopes and dreams she planned involving him were mere fairy-tales—distant fragments of the truth that she pieced together herself. She felt empty for a while after this realization, but once she noticed the potential she had inside her, she bloomed into a very developed and sophisticated woman—but still the hot-headed, stubborn Haruno Sakura that greeted the joining of Team 7.

There was one thing that stabbed at Sakura's conscience every time she was re-united with her old teammates—Kakashi.

She missed him in a peculiar way. It was odd to think that he was such an important part of her adolescence years, and then, suddenly, one day, he disappears like he was nothing but a stranger. A pang of nostalgia pierced her heart every time she thought about him; she still wished Team 7 could be together… she still wished Kakashi was there to keep them in line and enlighten them with his dry sarcasm. _Well, _she thought, _times are always changing…_

_It's something I just have to accept…_

Tearing herself back to reality, Sakura blinked a few times before digging into her meal. Thinking was something she did too often… right now… she was off work, and she was with her boys… relaxing…

There was no need to think about anything but the lunch she was eating…

Yet, still… it was very hard for her to turn off the recent events in her mind. Excitement was something she didn't come by often, and in the past two days she had miraculously healed her former sensei and received a dinner invitation from a very attractive and developed medic. In her book, those were very important feats. The excitement of it all had crept up behind her and caught her fully off-guard. But…

Little did she know…

Her life was getting ready to spiral out-of-control…

-----------------

TBC

A/N: Jeez I am sorry it is moving so slow! It will get much, much better I promise! Thanks for reading!


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